


come and dance with me

by eminy



Category: Outer Banks (TV)
Genre: Kiara dances a bunch, everyone is a babe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-27
Updated: 2020-04-27
Packaged: 2021-03-02 00:28:43
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,776
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23866042
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eminy/pseuds/eminy
Summary: There is no doubt that Kiara’s childhood was different from the boys’. Yes, they all grew up in the same town, going to the same schools, the same gas stations and grocery stores. But those aren’t the only things that shape a human being.One of the biggest rich girl aspects to Kiara’s life was her dancing. Since the age of two, her parents had her in dance classes. Even as a young child she didn’t like organized sports so she never joined a dance team or participated in competitions, much to the disappointment of her parents and her dance teachers because Kiara was a damn good dancer.The girl had rhythm, and would dance anytime anywhere.(Not sure where this came from, haven't written a fic in literal years, but I love these goofballs v much.)
Relationships: JJ & Kiara (Outer Banks), JJ/Kiara (Outer Banks), Kiara & John B. Routledge, Kiara & Pope (Outer Banks), Sarah Cameron & Kiara
Comments: 9
Kudos: 147





	come and dance with me

**Author's Note:**

> SOOOO this sort of got away from me. I hope ya'll like it. 
> 
> I have this headcanon of Kiara loving to dance based on the clip of her and JJ in ep 1. dancing, as well as the scene of her dancing with John B in the restaurant.
> 
> Idk I dig it a lot.......
> 
> Also I fully ignore the whole running away to the Bahamas part, and gloss right over that to make it all work out for my loves....

There is no doubt that Kiara’s childhood was different from the boys’. Yes, they all grew up in the same town, going to the same schools, the same gas stations and grocery stores. But those aren’t the only things that shape a human being.

Some kids will grow up having their moms or dads waiting for the school bus to pull up, so they can greet them with a hug in the afternoon. Others will barrel through the mudrooms of their houses with a parent shouting a reminder to do your homework before playing outside while putting down a younger sibling for a nap. And some kids will let themselves into an empty house with the key from under the flower pot that’s never had flowers in it after school; knowing their single parent just started their shift and won’t be back ‘til after midnight.

Some kids will recount their day over freshly baked cookies at a sunny kitchen table with a housekeeper hemming and hawing at just the right moments. Some kids will be annoyed when their parent calls them inside to set the table since dinner will be as soon as your older sibling gets home from piano practice. Some kids will be happy to see that mom was having a good day today and remembered to leave you with enough peanut butter and bread for a sandwich.

Some kids will play on travel soccer teams that go to tournaments all across the state with a proud, and maybe overly-invested parent who also coordinates cheers from the sidelines. Some kids will beg their moms for new cleats and shin guards for their rec league soccer because hand-me-downs from your older brother always smell and his feet are too wide. Some kids will coordinate games that (couldn’t quite be called soccer due to the changing rules and home bases) down on the field near the old Jansen house with a kickball that rolled down the hill the other day from the elementary school gym class.

Now this isn’t say any one experience is better than the other. Because life is just too complicated for that. Kids will grow and learn in any situation. Certainly some situations are easier than others, but kids are resilient. You can learn to protect yourself emotionally and physically when you aren’t sure if your mom or dad is going to come home sober any which day. You learn how to care for others and the importance of empathy when you are told you have to babysit your sibling for the fifth weekend in a row. You can learn the importance of having a support system when your mom walks you through a math problem that you just can’t wrap your head around while she gets ready for a benefit dinner.

But kids will also create rules in their heads to make sense of the world. Everyone does this. So you might think people can’t be trusted if your dad forgets to sign the permission slip for the school field trip again. You may conclude that you need to please everyone and you should put your needs last if you see your mom and dad exhausted from fighting with your brother about his curfew. You may even feel the opposite and decide that your needs are the most important if your parents get you out of every sticky situation without consequences like when you kicked the worker at the farmer’s market when he reprimanded you for knocking over the apples.

Kiara was on the end of the spectrum closer to freshly baked cookies and new cleats, while the boys had an epic kickball/tag tradition every Friday. But Kiara never had a nanny, and the cookies were usually made by her at the restaurant as something to keep her busy as her dad cooked and her mom waited on tables. So she was never as fully Kook as the boys made her out to be.

One of the biggest rich girl aspects to Kiara’s life was her dancing. Since the age of two, her parents had her in dance classes. Even as a young child she didn’t like organized sports so she never joined a dance team or participated in competitions, much to the disappointment of her parents and her dance teachers because Kiara was a damn good dancer.

The girl had rhythm, and would dance anytime anywhere.

* * *

The first time she made John B. dance with her was a party towards the end of seventh grade. He did not want to dance. He had never really danced before. Certainly not at a party in the basement of a classmate’s house with all the other pogues and some kooks around. Kie had been dancing with a cute eighth grader for most of the night, and some of her dance friends. Girls dancing in groups was kind of the default at these sort of parties, with the occasional cool guy who would dance one on one with a girl.

So it was safe to say that most of the seventh grade pogue boys didn’t have the balls to dance. The sole exception being JJ who danced with a blonde girl for a solid ten minutes before she and him snuck outside. No one would be surprised to hear later that JJ and this girl had a kiss under the moonlight that he described as more sloppy than romantic.

“Hey, John B! Come dance with me!” Kie interrupted his conversation with Pope. Her face was glowing with the excitement she always got from dancing, and she gestured with her hand for him to join her on the dancefloor.

The cute girl that really only started hanging out with them in the past year and a half was asking him, a braces-wearing pogue to dance. Obviously, he said yes, despite his awkwardness of dancing with a girl for the first time.

She beamed when he stood up and walked over to her. He bobbed in place for a moment or two, before Kie bit back a smile and said,

“Gimme your hands”

And they danced. Well, Kie danced and John B copied and moved his hands around. Eventually, loosening up and having some fun while admiring his fierce friend’s dancing abilities.

* * *

Another warm summer night, they were all at the chateau. Because even before Big John was lost at sea, he was often gone. He took odd jobs and drove charter boats for rich people. Meaning any given summer night, he was likely out driving a boat with a party on it. So it was the default hang out, besides the boat of course.

They were all just hanging around, JJ was flipping through songs to listen to on his phone, not staying on anyone song for more than 30 seconds.

“wait, wait, go back! I love that song!” Kie popped up and started to sway her hips. “Pope! Dance with me.”

“Kie, I don’t dance. I read.” Pope responded.

Kie groaned at that. As if they were one-note individuals who could only have one interest, nah they have dimensions goddammit!

“Dude, stand up and dance. You’ve gotta have more rhythm than those two white boys.”

Pope was still shaking his head no, and JJ flipped Kie off while turning up the music.

Staring him down, her hands on her hips, Kie struck the final, slightly manipulative blow: “You do know that girls like guys who dance, right?”

And they danced. Eventually, Kie pulled JJ and John B in as well. And they all were dancing like lunatics to whatever song came next whether it be top 100 hit or an 80s classic.

* * *

No one remembers the first time Kie and JJ danced. JJ, the eternal wildcard, and Kiara, who was also a beat away from moving and grooving, would dance at anything. Commercial jingles, pledge of allegiance, music from passing cars, you get the point.

In fact, for a while it was the only thing they agreed on. Dancing was fun.

As time went on, and Kiara quite frankly got hotter, JJ would try and make their dances more risqué. Kiara would laugh and bat his hands away from her ass, or sometimes she’d play dance chicken with him. Not be confused with the chicken dance, dance chicken is when you dance as dirty as possible until the other person flinches. Kiara, as trained dancer, had some Moves (with a capital M), and would win whenever she wanted. She could and would turn on guys in a second. It was fun to her.

As summers came and went, the boys grew into their bodies, with abs that even made Kie stop in wonder from time to time. They would never admit this to Kiara, but all those times dancing in the sunset at the end of docks and on the HMS Pogue had certainly helped them when trying to pull at parties. Tourist girls loved a bold townie that asked them to dance.

Of course, Kiara also used her dancing to hook guys as well.

* * *

Kiara tossed her hair off to the side and popped her hip towards the touron she was practically grinding on this point. His name was Peter…. Pete? Paul? It definitely started with a p and gave a real WASP vibe. All Kiara really needed to know about him was his cheekbones could cut glass, and he wouldn’t be around in a week to annoy her.

The song ended, and Kie smiled and turned to face the guy.

“That was fun, babe.” Kiara pecked him on the cheek. “Thanks for the dance.”

She patted him on the shoulder in a clear dismissal, and walked over the keg where JJ was currently filling up a solo cup. Swiping the cup from him and taking a sip, Kiara smirked at her friend. JJ sighed and started to get himself a new beer.

“Where’d tonight’s catch go?” JJ leaned back on the drift wood, referring to the guy she had been dancing with.

“Peter Piper picked a pick of puh --- Wait no, Peter Pepper picked a piper of pickles. Peter Piper picked a pipper….” Kie descended into laughter.

“How much have you drank tonight, Kie?” JJ straightened up a little. It was not like her to quote, or more accurately misquote, nursery rhymes when drunk.

Kie just laughed and slid down to the sand. JJ sank down next to her, while also looking to the crowd to see if he could spot Pope or John B as he was mildly concerned for his drunk friend. 

“I’m fine, JJ. Just having some fun.” Kie dropped her head to his shoulder, not noticing his intake of breath.

“Uh huh….”

“No, I got this, ready?” Taking a deep inhale, Kiara turned her head to make eye contact with JJ. She looked so serious (and kissable) when she continued to say “Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers!”

And Kie cheered for herself as she finally nailed that tongue twister that had been stuck in her head since cheekbones introduced himself.

JJ couldn’t help but chuckle at Kiara. She looked so damn proud of her success with an elementary school level challenge. She snaked her arms around JJ’s waist, touching his skin under his unbuttoned shirt. He returned the favor and held her close.

“For real, you are okay?”

“I promise. I just think I’m done for the night.” She murmured into his chest.

“No more Peter Piper?”

She chuffed, “No more Peter Piper. Not tonight anyways.”

“Cool, I’ll see if John B and Pope want to head out with us.” JJ gave his friend one more squeeze before reluctantly untangling and standing up. She saluted him, as he walked away smiling.

John B was making strides with a cute redhead and told JJ he’d see them later at the chateau. Pope, on the other hand, was bombing with a line about become a coroner when JJ approached. Sure, the boy can dance with a cute girl, but when he opens his mouth his prospects of hooking up with a girl tend to fall wayside. It’s a work in progress.

Walking back over with Pope, JJ noticed the guy Kie had been dancing with before was now squatting before her as she remained sitting in the same spot JJ had left her. Her face was tense and her hands were on her hips. It looked like the guy was trying to get her to come with him somewhere more private, and Kiara was not having it.

Pope started to walk faster to address the situation. But JJ caught Kie’s eye, she gave a quick shake of the head no. So JJ put out a hand stopping him from getting involved; “She’s got this.”

The resolution came over Kiara like a wave, she turned her attention back to the pepper picker in front of her. She took his hand and let him pull her up to stand.

Brushing sand off her ass, this dude was going on and on; “I knew from the way you were dancing with me, you wanted me.”

Kiara sighed audibly, stretched her neck to both sides, and looked this guy dead in the eyes, “I am not interested in you. And if you don’t fuck off, I will punch you.”

“What? No, that’s not what your body was saying earlier.”

“Dude, I said, fuck off.”

“What the hell are you talking about you bitch!” No sooner than he grabbed her left arm, did her right arm come swinging.

Peter clearly misgauged Kie’s strength and he went down to the sand. He was cursing and holding his cheek, when Kie started walking away. She turned back only to say,

“Peter Piper and his pecker aren’t getting picked tonight.”

JJ snorted at that, and put arm across Kiara’s shoulders as she reached them.

“Uh, wasn’t his name Paul?” Pope asked as they walked away from the party.

Kie laughed, leaned on her boys, and said, “Who the fuck cares, babe.”

* * *

When Kiara and Sarah were friends in the ninth grade, Kiara became minorly famous for her Tik Tok dances. A smoking hot girl plus bikini plus dancing is a formula built for success, Tik Tok success that is.

Sarah would film and occasionally co-star. But really she liked seeing her friend do something so out of character. Endorsing a morally questionable app, a social media app nonetheless, was not something pogue Kiara would have done. But kook Kiara, she was still at the point in her life where she wanted to fit in amongst her classmates.

Not to mention, when your beautiful blonde friend is showering you with compliments, sometimes you just go along with her ideas. Just to make her smile.

Her brief touch with fame came to an abrupt end, even before the birthday party disaster. Kiara never told Sarah why she wanted to stop actually. Frankly it was one of the reasons that contributed to the aforementioned birthday disaster.

Kiara had been over at Tannyhill with Sarah making content for her Tik Tok, when Sarah got a call from her dad who was away on work. She went inside to take the call. So Kie was sunbathing by the pool in her favorite black bikini.

A wolf whistle distracted her from her thoughts. It was Sarah’s unfortunate older brother Rafe.

“Hey, Kiara. You are looking mighty fine today. Did you wear that little number for me?”

“Rafe, that would mean I would have had to think about you, which has literally never happened before.” Kiara retorted tiredly.

“Oh don’t worry, honey. I don’t need you to think about me, so long you keep posting tik toks I can jack off to.” Kiara’s face tensed at that comment.

“You didn’t realize, did you? That I have a folder of videos saved down on my phone to get off to whenever I want? Not to mention, I get the real life thing whenever you lay out here in the sun. You see my room is right up there; you wouldn’t believe the view it has.” Rafe licked his lips while gesturing to a window on the second floor of the mansion.

Kiara was somewhat dumbfounded by this blatant confession of Rafe masturbating to her, when Sarah returned.

“Oy! Stop annoying Kie!” Sarah barged outside.

“No worries, Sarah.” Rafe held eye contact with Kiara, “I’ll just go to my room.”

Rafe walked inside.

“I am so sorry; he is literally the worst. I thought he was away too this weekend.” Sarah said trying to break the weird tension the interaction had left, but Kiara was already packing her bag.

“I really hate him; and you know that. I am out of here.” Kiara didn’t want to fight with Sarah again about how terrible her family was. She couldn’t even process how violated she thought right now, let alone explain it to her friend.

“Fine,” Sarah was clearly hurt. “I’ll see you around, I guess”

Kiara walked off to her bike, and pedaled away holding back tears. Rafe made her feel so small, and she just couldn’t handle that. She had felt good when she felt sexy for Sarah, but the fact that other people like Rafe were seeing her that way… And that she couldn’t ever know what they did with her videos was something that hadn’t truly crossed her mind before.

She hasn’t posted a Tik Tok since. She still danced, but not for cameras. Maybe someday she will be comfortable with it again, but for now she dances for fun.

* * *

It was a colder night on the marsh, and they had out Big John’s old boombox playing his old mixtapes by the bonfire. Kiara had stolen one of the boys’ sweatshirts to wear. She thinks it was Pope’s originally, but now maybe JJ’s? Clothes in the chateau often become communal.

John B and Sarah had gone inside maybe an hour ago. Not wanting to stay outside any longer, but also not wanting to interrupt anything that may be happening inside the chateau, Pope had headed home moments earlier.

Leaving her place by the bonfire, Kie climbed into the hammock where JJ was, snuggling up to his side.

“Are you and Pope good these days?” JJ prompted after sitting in silence for a few minutes.

“Yes and no.” Kiara sighed. “I feel like I only kissed him back because I felt like I was supposed to, and he feels like I never truly gave him a shot.”

“Hmm.”

“We’ve decided to put it all behind us, and stick to being friends, but it’s just going to take some time.” Kiara continued; her hand reaching to hold his.

“I get that. It’s not your fault you are such a babe.” He tugged on the scarf around her head, “It’s just the cross we, as beautiful people, have to bear.” JJ smiled hearing Kie chuckle. He loved to make her laugh.

The boombox crackled and started playing _Lovely Day_ by Bill Withers.

“Oh I love this song” Kiara said to the night sky.

“Even though it’s not Bob Marley?” JJ faked shock, as she pushed teasingly at his chest.

JJ sat up, “Come on, let’s dance.”

“Hey, that’s my line.” Kiara retorted as they not so gracefully climbed out of the hammock.

JJ took Kiara’s hands and they started to move. A little swaying, a little bopping.

_Then I look at you_

_And the world's alright with me_

JJ smiled to himself, the lyrics truly describe how he feel about Kiara lately.

_Just one look at you_

_And I know it's gonna be_

_A lovely day_

JJ spun Kiara out, she spun back so her back was against his chest. She looked up at him.

_When the day that lies ahead of me_

_Seems impossible to face_

_And when someone else instead of me_

_Always seems to know the way_

_Then I look at you_

_And the world's alright with me_

_Just one look at you_

_And I know it's gonna be_

_A lovely day_

They held eye contact swaying like that as the _lovely day, lovely day lovely day_ faded away.

It seemed that was the last song this mix tape. The silence of the night stretched on. The light of the fire flickering on their faces. The crickets and cicadas adding peaceful comforting noise to this moment.

Kiara, subconsciously, licked her lips. JJ’s eyes darted down to them, causing the corners of Kie’s mouth to turn up.

“JJ, you can kiss me” Kiara said softly, “if you want.”

“If I want” JJ scoffed and gently leaned in to place his lips softly on hers. It was a light, tentative kiss. The kind of kiss that says there is more to come. The kind of kiss that is a hello not a good bye. It was brief.

They pulled back and smiled.

JJ couldn’t help, but tease “Looks like you finally kissed the full pogue set. Only one left is Sarah, and I don’t think I’m ready to give her full pogue status yet.”

Kie gave a short ha, before saying with a coy smile, “You don’t know everything that happened in my kook year.”

“Kiara, you minx you!” JJ said as Kiara pushed him back on to the hammock to kiss him some more. This was the first of the Pogue boys she got to have a say in how and when they kissed for the first time, and she liked that a lot. And she was certainly going to keep doing it.

* * *

Let’s go back to the rules kids make to understand the world. Now the good thing about those rules is that they can be rewritten. Instead of thinking all people are untrustworthy, you might just learn from your friends that there are people out there who care about your well-being. Instead of trying to make everyone happy because you don’t want to add to their stresses, and kissing boys because you feel obligated, you can learn to stand up for yourself and kiss boys (or girls) because you want to.

You might also un-learn trusting family implicitly because your brother and father turn out to be murdering psychos and your step-mother seems to quite the penchant for criminal schemes, but that also might be a situation specific to Sarah Cameron…

Getting back on topic, Kiara and her boys might have grown up in very different circumstances that shaped who they are, but people aren’t static. They will always grow and change if they choose to. Especially if they have some good friends at their side.

Even more so if those good friends are willing to dance with you.

fin.

**Author's Note:**

> I have some feelings about Tik Tok, and like young girls posting on there, which may make me sound like a grandma.... My opinion is not fully fleshed out, and I think that sort of shows, but whatever. Also Madison Bailey is wicked hot and her one Tik Tok is fire.
> 
> JJ and Kiara have much better chemistry than Kiara and Pope (I included the pic because I love it, not because I ship those two), and like frankly I don't think the writers intended us to feel so strongly about JJ and Kiara. So I'll be interested to see how that is handled in S2 ( which I am willing into the world and not even entertaining the idea that there won't be more of this show).
> 
> Last thing I want to mention is that I will probably be writing more for this fandom because its caught me in a way that hasn't happened in a while. Also quarantine so more free time. :)


End file.
